A Memorable New Years Weekend At IDA Navi Mumbai

The Pup and the Rabbit

Today morning, a sick rabbit was released by its "owner" (if they ever thought of themselves as guardians, they wouldnt have done this) in the parsik hills at Belapur. It could barely hop around. Morning walkers found it being chased by stray dogs, and our van went and rescued the poor thing. We also rescued a pup from a road accident. Both of them were crying and shivering in fear till we kept them together. Immediately after which they cozied up.....This is the first in our rescues today.

Tandoori who eats only tandoori

Our third call for the morning was from a well meaning animal lover. Mr,Thomas owns a small eatry in Kalamboli, next to the highway. Little 'brownie' also called 'tandoori' , was a starving pup when he found her a month ago. So overwhelmed with love was he and his wife that they kept feeding her, and brownie didnt disappoint them. She now eats only tandoori chicken along with the bones and nothing else! She eats 3 times a day and consumes upto half kg. of tandoori chicken per day! We got the frantic call that 'tandoori' was dying and our vet Dr.Yadav discovered that she was just too full and had heavy indigestion. When I told Mrs.Thomas that 'tandoori' will have to be on liquids for a day, and then after a light nutritious diet till she settled down, she broke down and cried & cried, and then negotiated with us that let me atleast give her rice and curds today! More than the treatment, it took us time to explain to this well meaning couple that even love can kill.

Overworked Donkeys

Our fourth call of the day today. Students of a local college called up to tell us that 2 donkeys were being brutally overworked at a construction site in their campus. They were being beaten with a stick, ears pulled, and the brown one had very weak front legs, besides being old . They were also being kicked. I went there with our vet, both of us pretending to be teachers, and I clicked these pics. while Dr. yadav was trying to stop them. By the time they started kicking, I was in the fray and forgot the camera. The woman threatened to break my head with the stick, and I meanwhile got into a scuffle with her and grabbed it away. We made them unload the obviously miserable creatures, and you can see their relief in the last two pics. The white one was joined by her joyous baby, and the old one was at peace eating grass. This is a long term case. I spent time explaining to the "owners"(!!), about taking care, our Dr. Amit is visiting the site within an hour, meanwhile he will let me know if we have to confiscate the old one, which I shall do if he says so.

The Rabbit Passes Away

Sad news. The rabbit we rescued yesterday died today evening. Nothing could save him. He was practically blind, his feet were rotting, his nails were terribly overgrown, he was old, and he was very very scared, with a very high heartbeat....but he came in whining and left us peacefully, cuddled up against the rescued pup..he's now at peace in a better place, and died loved. Our only consolation. I wonder though about the family who were seen abandoning him.